


Hug me till the cold leaves

by Cheerful_Shipper



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance, Soulmates, additional tags to be added later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-26
Updated: 2017-01-21
Packaged: 2018-07-26 22:47:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 12,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7593235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cheerful_Shipper/pseuds/Cheerful_Shipper
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony Stark has the weird condition of being cold since birth. He has ignored it as best as he could until one day heat spikes through him for the first time along with a certain star spangled visitor. (Soulmates fic)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hi this is my first fic posted so comments will be greatly appreciated. Enjoy this short prologue before I upload chapter 1.

A young child with pudgy cheeks and chestnut eyes slowly ambles to his father's office. He tries to pat down his unruly hair down to seem presentable but the brown tufts stayed up. Quietly he opens the door and clears his throat to announce his presence. Sitting in a large leather seat is an older man with a permanent scowl etched into his face.

"Hey da-" A sharp glare from the man cuts off the young child.

"I mean sir. May I please turn up the heating. It's just so cold in this house and I was just wondering if I could turn it up?" he asks as his lip trembles from a mixture of fear and cold.

The man pinches the bridge of his nose then turns back to the boy with another pointed glare.

"Anthony, I work hard to not only keep Stark Industries running but also pay for the bills of this house. Do you really want to waste my money for some unnecessary extra heating?" 

Anthony shakes has head quickly while clenching his small fists.

"Sir, it's just-" the man smacks Anthony leaving a crimson handprint across the boy's cheek.

"Son, don't you dare talk back to me. Go to your room this instant and don't you dare come back with that nonsense." The man continues to glare at Anthony till he leaves.

As Anthony walks back to his room tears stream down his face. He didn't understand why his father wouldn't listen. He was just so cold, he's always been so cold since birth. Yet his father never listened to his pleas.

Maybe one day he would create a technology that would get rid of the constant bone chilling cold he felt. Until then he would just deal with the uncomfortable cold. He continued down the long corridor and eventually made it to his room, crawled under the thick covers till he finally became a bit warmer. Tremors still racked his small frame as he shivered but did his best to bear it.

"Hey" a voice whispered. Anthony looked next to him and saw a older boy peeking with glasses framing his face.

Anthony face softened and he smiled at the figure. "Hiya Brucie Bruce, how are you doing?"

Bruce shakes his head at the boy while a small smile work its way onto his face. Quickly remembering the situation the smiles slips off his face.

"Tony," he starts "you can't keep letting Howard treat you like that."

Tony waved his hand at Bruce. "Don't worry Brucie, a little cold won't kill me. Besides we have important stuff to worry about. I'll build some awesome robots and you'll mix some cool chemicals and maybe dad will notice us."

"He's doesn't deserve the title of dad Tony, he's never been there for us. But fine I'll this but I'm doing it for you Tony, not for Howard. Never for him" Bruce finishes with a sneer.

Tony flashes him a shy smile "Thanks Brucie but don't be so angry, let's go ask Jarvis for some snack." 

Tony reached his hands towards Bruce who picks up Tony wrapped up in the bundle of blankets. Once Tony is comfortable in the embrace he nuzzles closer to Bruce neck to try to get warmer.

Bruce tried to ignore the younger boy's shivers while silently cursing Howard.

"Don't worry Tony," Bruce whispers softly "The cold won't last forever." trying more to convince himself rather than his brother in his arms.

Tony nodded while smiling brightly. Bruce has never been wrong before so why would he be wrong this time?


	2. Chapter 1 (Present Day)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first official chapter. Thanks everyone for all the kudos so far. As always leave comments below, I love reading and responding to them.

    Tony yawned as he woke, cracking his back in the process. Imprints of wires and bolts marked his face from passing out on his lab table. Falling asleep there was uncomfortable but he had so many creations he had yet to finish. Taking a break would be a waste of time, he'd rather his body collapse on its own when it saw fit.

"Jarvis," he called out.

"Yes Sir?" 

" Can you call Pepper to schedule a meeting with the board and give her the list of documents with clauses I want to try and instate. Also order a new power drill because this one is one the fritz again and pull up surveillance on Brucie's lab. I want to see what my darling brother is up to." 

"Right away Sir, but be warned Dr.Banner is currently experimenting with lethal chemicals and interruption could lead to disaster."

"Oh don't go all mother hen on me Jarvis, I'm allowed to check up on Brucie."

Tony watched the screen light up with the video feed of Bruce. He hated how the guy would work himself ragged and show the strain through the gray peppering his hair and the wariness in his movements. Tony himself would sometimes have bags under his eyes that seemed to weigh down his face and grunts that showcased annoyance at himself. He popped open a bottle a whiskey and grabbed the nearest glass to pour it into. Tipping his head back he drunk the amber liquid with a quick flick of the wrist relishing the warm feeling of it trailing down his throat. 

Sighing he rubbed his temples to get rid of the oncoming migraine as well as the tell tale signs of cold. He left his lab to occupy his mind from both of them. Bothering Bruce always be seemed to get his mind off the freezing feelings he felt.

The ride on the elevator allowed Tony to mull over his thoughts. He was more stressed out than people give him credit for but he didn't have time to wallow in it. He had to keep moving forward or get consumed by his own mind. Maybe that is what scare Tony the most. Not the cold, that had a familiarity that lurked in his body. Not only the nightmares of Afghanistan. But a disgusting cocktail of them both along with other horrors that lurked in his mind. 

The elevator dinged disrupting him from his thoughts and the door opened with a clang. Tony made a note to later fix that awful sound. He padded down the hallways to Bruce's lab, opening his door and silently stalked up to Bruce. 

"Hey Brucie, what's going on. I'm fine thank you for asking. I have some important business to discuss and no it's not about your girlfriend you still don't have. Come on Brucie, times ticking by." Bruce blushed in embarrassment.

"But that's besides the point. There is this guy named Agent Coulson, yeah I know what kind of first name is Agent. He wants to talk to us about some Avengers initiative with someone named Fury who is the director of their organization. I don't know if I want to throw money at them to leave or see what they are trying to offer. Even though I'm not qualified completely because of my faults." He put air quotes around faults although he knows he does have a share of things he wished he could change about himself. 

"It's surprising with my amazing smarts that I'd only be a consultant." Tony waited for Bruce's response.

"Why didn't you ask Colonel Rhodes for advice? You know I'm not good with people Tony," he rubs his necks with his free hand.

"Honey bear isn't picking up my calls." Tony whines. He lays down on the lab table next to the chemicals Bruce is working on. He grabs the closest beaker next to him and begins to twirl the liquid in it. 

"I can see why." Bruce murmurs softly.

Tony gives Bruce a sideways grin "You know you love me Brucie. Besides I keep your life interesting. And I know other guy has a soft side for me. Now dear brother, regale me on the tale of this weird liquid."

Bruce rolls his eyes at Tony but smiles. "That so called weird liquid is a high flammable concentrate that has shown to leave extensive skin irritation if it makes contact with skin." 

Tony pays attention to Bruce while shaking around the beaker. 

"Can I take some and see if I could go integrate it into an upgrade for the suit."

Bruce snorts and grabs the beaker.  
"'Maybe if I find a way to better stabilize it but not now."

Tony huffs, he is more responsible than people give him credit for. You light half the building on fire once and you get labeled for life.

"Fine Brucie, fine but I will be back." He stares at Bruce while leaving the lab earning a chuckle from the man.

Tony left the room and walked back down the hallway to the elevator. A brief pang of warmth hit his chest. He sucked in a quick breath at the foreign feeling. Never had he felt such a warm temperature yet he seemed to like it. Suddenly the warmth came back but stronger and spread through his body. Tony fell to his knees, crying out in pain.

The heat scorched through his body causing Tony to curl up into a ball. He tightened his arms around his knees as he tried to get his mind of the sensations. Squeezing his eyes shut he tried to block out unbearable heat but it didn't work.

"Jarvis" he cried out as if the name itself hurt him.

"Don't worry Sir, I called Dr. Banner and he is on his way now."

Tony heard the loud stomp of footsteps coming his way as the heat continued to engulf him. His lungs constricted as he wheezed softly in an effort to breath, shuddering through the pain.

The footsteps finally made his way to him as strong arms heaved him up. 

"Come on Tony, stay with me. Open your eyes and stay with me." 

Tony tried to pry his eyes open as wide as he could but could only manage a squint. 

"There we go Tony, I'm going to bring you to the medical lab and help you okay. I promise I'll make you feel better."

Tony tried to speak but his mouth felt too dry and his throat was sore from the attempts to breath.

"You don't have to try to speak, conserve your energy." He said while running Tony to the lab, careful not to jostle him too much.

Bruce kicked open the door then placed Tony on the nearest bed. Just as Bruce  was about to place an oxygen mask on him Tony sat up with a start, coughing loudly. 

Staring at his brother with wide eyes Tony let out out a hoarse whisper "What the fuck was that?" He questioned.

"I don't know Tony, you tell me. One second I'm in my lab then Im interrupted by Jarvis telling me you need you need me immediately and I rush to see you burning up with a fever, barely able to breathe. Then the next second you're fine and all you have to show for it is some coughing." Bruce shakes as his eyes tinge green. He grits his teeth in an effort to suppress growling loudly from a mix of anger and confusion.

"I knew you never could regulate your body temperature but I never thought it would get this bad. Why can I never protect you." The green begins to branch into to his face in angry green veins and Tony immediately gets off the bed on shakily legs. He wraps his arms around Bruce and rubs his back softly.

"I'm okay now Brucie, we'll work this out. Please don't get angry. I'll talk to JARVIS to run some scans and we'll do some research when we have time"

Bruce breathing slowly begins to evens out and tightens his arms around Tony.

"Besides Brucie, I don't feel the cold from before or the heat. If this is how regular people feel you can sign me up. I'm digging having normal body temperature." He says with a smile, trying to cheer up his older brother. He examines his face and sees no signs of green so let's out a mental sigh of relief.

Bruce himself lets out a small but shaky chuckle usually reserved for Tony. 

"Now you can't stick you're cold hands down my shirt." he remarks.

Tony lets out a fake gasp "How dare my Brucie sass me, I feel threatened. I'm going to call my Honey bear later and complain. He understands me." He says with a fake sniffle.

"Yeah if he to picks up your call." Bruce snickers.

Tony scoffs "He is my best friend, probably missing me already. I wouldn't be surprised if there were already piles of alcohol and flowers waiting on my bed as a plea for forgiveness."

"I'm glad your throat is feeling better at least." Bruce removed himself from the hug taking his turn to examine Tony for any signs of illness.

"Take a picture Brucie, it will last longer." Tony says with a smirk.

Bruce rolls his eyes causing Tony's smirk to widen. Tony cared about his brother and didn't want to worry about him about something else. He had enough things to worry about without Tony added to it. Tony needed to find out what was wrong with himself and fast before it worsened. But before now he will put it at the back of his mind and focus on more important things. His health wasn't his top priority despite Bruce's protests in the past.

Tony's priority was to better the world through technological advancements and charities. He stumbled along the way because he was human, a human who sometimes made mistakes. But that wouldn't stop his efforts because he was Tony Stark. And Tony Stark doesn't give up no matter the stakes.


	3. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone, time for the long awaited meeting. Thanks for the kudos and as always leave comments below, I love to read and respond to them.

Light from the blowtorch flooded his vision as he hummed to the blaring guitar solo playing in the background. Tony always found it easier to work when multiple things were going on at once. The chaos around him seemed to put him at ease. It had been a month since Tony had that strange episode and he was still working effectively to forget it. He grabbed his bottle of whiskey and took a quick swig while forgetting he was holding his blowtorch with the others hand. The fire hit his shoulder making him fall back in pain. The whiskey smashed in the process, spraying him.

"Jarvis do a quick body scan to see the worst of the damage." He says with a grunt. Swiping the glass off him as he sits up he ends up cutting the palm of his hand. A crimson line trails down his palm.

"Fucking damn it, anything else want to happen." Tony sniffs himself.

"At least I smell like good whiskey." He snorts.

"Sir the burn is only first degree and the cut is only a flesh wound but Dr. Banner needs to talk to you urgently about Shield. Agent Phil Coulson is currently awaiting your presence in the living room."  

Tony peeled off his wet clothes and grabbed a dry pair of boxers and pants along with a loose black tank top before heading into the elevator. Did Agent Coulson still want to talk about the Avenger initiative? And why did Agent Coulson pick today of all days. Hopefully it would be something interesting to better his day. 

The elevator reached the living room and Tony saw Agent Coulson trying to talk to Bruce who just nodded but didn't pay much attention. 

"Hey Agent, why are you harassing my poor brother Brucie. He doesn't like socializing for so long, it makes him want to dry heave... violently." Tony teased.

Bruce murmured his discontent while Agent Coulson looked horrified as he tried to shift away slightly.

"I am so sorry Dr. Stark, it was not my intention to cause you any discomfort. I just thought you would be interested in being part of the Avengers initiative along with your unruly brother over there. We are even thinking of making him an actual member of it rather than a consultant even though he is self-absorbed, volatile and doesn't play well with others."

"Hey" Tony shouted in protest. "You wound me Agent as much as the cut on my hand. Oh and heads up Brucie here goes by Dr. Banner, him and Howard weren't the most chummy so I don't think it would serve good to remind him about old Howard." He says while wrapping said cut with gauze. Bruce gives him a concerned look but Tony waves him away.

"Anyway Agent tell us more about this Avengers initiative. I'm slightly interested and I'm sure I could wrangle my brother into it if I think it's worth while." 

Tony waits for Agent Coulson reply while scavenging in the fridge for a water bottle. As much as he loves alcohol he knows it can't be the only thing he drinks, which is a shame. He grabbed one and took a sip as he watched Agent Coulson.

"Well Mr. Stark I have some documents here about how Shield has recently done something  monumental that might peak your interest. It will of course lead into the Avengers Initiative once dealt with." Agent Coulson grabs the documents from his briefcase and tries to hand them to Tony who simply looks at him.

"I don't take handouts." Tony says while going back to drinking his water.

Agent Coulson sighs and puts it away.  
"Can you at least come to Shield base and see him in person." He asks.

Tony looks up Agent Coulson up and down trying to gauge what his motive is. So it's apparently a him he is meeting. What crazy person did Agent Coulson want to bring into his life. He's already had his share of crazies but was still intrigued by the mystery person. Plus it could take it mind off the strange temperature anomaly that occurred last month. Tony looked at Bruce from the corner his eye and Bruce gives a slight nod.

"So Agent, let's go check on the Shield base you've caught my attention and I'm interested at scoping out the technology there. Let me just change into something more presentable. I can't scare off the other people on my first day there." Tony chuckles, finishes his water then heads off to his room, leaving Agent Coulson to attempt and make small talk again with Bruce.

Hurriedly Tony strips off his clothes and grabs a pair of jeans, a long black tee and the closet pair of shoes. He smothers on a bit of ointment then wraps it in gauze as well. Tony puts on the clothes while looking in the mirror to check for holes and stains. Noticing none he gives himself the quick once over again. Seemingly satisfied he leaves his room and returns to the living room. He swings around Bruce and flashes Agent Coulson a smile.

"So Agent, Brucie and I are ready to check out your sweet digs. Do you have any alcohol at Shield? I usually need a drink after big events, fair warning." 

Agent Coulson gave Tony a look but doesn't press on the matter while leading the two brothers out of the tower.

                     _________

"Woah" Tony marveled while looking at one of the Shield computers.  
"That computer is so old , I'm pretty sure my Grandma had a newer model. When is the last time you upgraded any of the technology. I could build you some way better tech or at least give you a few numbers that deal with enhancing technology from the prehistoric age." Tony continues his rant as Agent Coulson begins to tune him out.

"Is he always this rude?" Agent Coulson asked irritated.

Bruce shrugged his shoulders. "This is actually a good day for him. He's usually worse."

"Well we'll deal with that later, I need you two to come with me." Agent Coulson says while grabbed Tony's ear to pull him along as Bruce follows.

"Ow my ear Agent, these things aren't cheap." Tony swats away Agent Coulson hand and walks with him and Bruce to a small holding unit. Agent Coulson presses his hand against a sensor on the wall as the door opens with a click. He gestures for the duo to enter and Tony enters the room intrigued, trailed by a wary Bruce.

"Wait a second, Agent is that Captain America? Star spangled banner wearing hero, my dad's obsession for a huge chunk of his life" Tony remarks as Bruce stares agape at the blonde man.  
A pair of clear blue eyes stared back at Tony quizzically. 

"You can just call me Steve, Steve Rogers. I'm believe you're Tony Stark, the man Agent Coulson has been telling me about." His face is blank of everything except curiosity and wariness.

 

"I believe Agent here has a shit load of explaining to do because how can a WWII soldier have aged only a bit and look like a lost puppy. How freaking big is Shields funding to be able to fish out this dinosaur from wherever he was."

Bruce quietly analyze Steve trying to make him out as Steve look back trying to analyze Bruce at the same time. Tony stares down Agent Coulson during the time then shifts his gaze to Bruce and sees the exchange between the two.

"Hey Brucie, I think Spangles is as good looking at you do but let the man breathe a bit. Let's wait for Agent's explanation before we analyze the poor guy" 

Bruce sputters out an apology while Steve gives a forced smile.

"Well gentlemen what I want you to do is quite simple. Ever since we found Captain Rogers in the ice and defrosted him we've been having conflicting ideas on what to do with him. I believed since he was and still is one of the greatest hero of  existence we shouldn't turn him into a just another weapon to defeat people but instead let him choose what he wants to fight for. We finally decided that we want to integrate him into today's society and let him decide if he wants to continue being a superhero. And you Mr. Stark and Dr.Banner seemed like out most viable candidates."

Tony looked at Agent Coulson then let out a loud laugh. 

"You want us to take Old Man Spangles here and modernize him? Well Captain America Fanboy #1, I'm in if you let me upgrade some of that Shield tech. What do you think Brucie?" Tony looks at his brother and Bruce nods in compliance.

"There you have it Agent." Tony turns towards Steve "So when are you moving in?" He jokes.

"Today would seem like a fine day to move in." Steve deadpans causing Tony's eyes to widen.

"Today?" He coughs out. 

Agent Coulson observes the awkward exchange and slips out carefully.

Steve stared back at Tony, chestnut eyes meeting clear blue ones. "Yes today if you don't mind. You seem very capable of allowing me to come and live with you two." His eyes seem to bore into him, making Tony fight the urge to shift in his spot. Tony didn't always enjoy scrutiny up close, the spotlight was different because they were a bunch of people he wouldn't have to remember. 

 

"Well if you're sure you want to move in today just pack up all your old man trinkets and we'll take you."

Tony sees the tick in Steve's jaw from annoyance and he mentally praises himself from getting a slight emotional response from the stoic solider.

"I'm Dr. Bruce Banner by the way. I apologize for staring at you early, it's just your a really interesting case with the whole serum and all." Bruce stretches a hand out to Steve who pulls his gaze away from Tony long enough to shake it with a slight wince.

Bruce stares at Steve's hands and notices a red mark on the palm of his hand. He wondered how he got the injury and how advanced his healing factor became because of the serum to have it already reduced to a simple marking. Hopefully he could figure that out later. Bruce smiles at the thought.

Tony noticed the mark as well and rubs his own cut on his palm subconsciously. This man turned out to be more interesting that he would have thought. He can't believe he actually met Steve Rogers in the flesh and after all the praise Howard gave him he was wondering if he would live up to his expectations. He smirked to himself, maybe this Avengers initiative was worth more than a quick once over. This time he would actually look into it rather than reading the first line and getting bored enough to burn through it in 10 seconds flat.


	4. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone, here is the next installment of the story and as always leave comments. I love reading and responding to them.

"Okay Spangles so here are some ground rules. My lab is off limits  unless I say so, same with Brucie's. Anywhere else is fair game. There is a map on each level of the structure of the tower but if you ever get lost just ask Jarvis for directions. Say hi Jarvis."

"Hello Captain Rogers, pleasure to make your acquaintance." Steve looked around the room for the source of the voice.

"Where is that voice coming from." Steve asked.

"Oh, Jarvis is my artificial intelligence system I have installed in the house. He's a cool guy when he isn't SASSING ME!!" Tony yelled the last part to get his point across.

"Do forgive me Sir but I wouldn't have to sass you if you didn't act the way you did." He said almost playfully

"I will take you apart Jarvis and sell you piece by piece on the Internet." Tony grumbled out while Steve remained silent, watching the exchange that seemed foreign to him.

"Tony stop threatening Jarvis with hollow threats. I'm going to go back to my lab, please show Captain Rogers to his room and don't get into any trouble in process." Bruce said

Tony gave Bruce a devious smirk and waggled his eyebrows. Bruce sighed in response and headed out feeling a bit sorry for Captain Rogers.

Tony guided Steve to the kitchen and opened the cabinet showcasing his large variety of alcohol. 

"So what's your poison Spangles? I'm a scotch or whiskey kind of guy myself. But they are an acquired taste."

Steve shook his head "No thank you."

"Wow old man, already breaking the solider act by rejecting my liquor." Tony tuts at Steve.

"I have altered alcohol tolerance due to the serum so it is impossible for me to get intoxicated. There is no point in me drinking." He says in an even tone as he watches Tony grab the first bottle of scotch he could find.

"I bet you're such a riot at parties."  
Tony says dryly as he opens the bottle then takes a sip, relishing the taste trailing down his throat. Tony takes another sip before placing the bottle back in the cabinet.

"So Cap, would you like a tour of the house or are your old man bones already tuckered out and your ready for your nap." 

Steve glares at Tony which just earns him a smirk in return. "Yes I want a tour of the house to acclimate myself." 

Tony leads Steve into the elevator and pressed the button which pulled up a hologram. "Okay so we have multiple floors, too many to count honestly but I think it's in the 90's range. There are certain floors devoted to Stark Industries but don't worry those floors used to be only accessible by key card employees in a designated elevator so you didn't have to worry about getting lost there. But no one rents out the offices anymore so they are closed for now. Some bullshit about dangers and aliens, I stopped paying attention after awhile. We also have state of the art medical labs, science labs, a huge indoor gym area completely furnished with all necessities. We have a common floor for meetings and and different floors for guest rooms. We also have my floor and Bruce's floor and my lab all the way on the bottom level which is totally off limits unless I say so. I mean it. " 

"How did you breathe after that whole speech?" Steve asked curiously while Tony mumbled about high brain capacity. 

"I can also upgrade for any training sessions you want to do so you can have something to do when Brucie and me are busy in our labs." Tony said offhandedly.

Steve looked at Tony and gave him the first genuine smile he had gave anyone since he left the ice.

"Thank you Tony I would appreciate that. But why did you bring me to the elevator if you were just going to show me a hologram?" 

"I was going to but got lazy and holograms are so much easier. I'm not as young as I look. That's the end of the tour, your room is on the fourth floor. So since I'm starving and I'm betting you are too along with the need of being introduced to modern world do I have an idea. You and I can cook or bake something and I'll fill you in on any questions about the world you have while doing so. What do you say Cap?"

Steve nodded almost cautiously while Tony grinned in response. He moved his finger from his temple to the air to signify his departure, leaving Steve to settle in first.

___________

Tony and Steve were covered is flour as they waited for the pizza to cook in the oven. They sat next to each other at the table while laughing and trading banter that seemingly came easy.

"Don't lie to me Spangles, you know you're happy you haven't  heard all the trash they are passing off as Pop music nowadays." Tony teased. Steve nods in agreement.

"Agent Coulson had been filling me in with certain current events and culture from today and, " Steve paused and clenched one of his fists lightly before unclenching "it's a lot to take in that I don't seem to do fast enough."

"Its okay, the place you take it at is your own which is fine. I'll make sure to get Bruce to lend you some history magazines later to catch you up. But I'll do the fun stuff like working with technology and binging on tv shows from Netflix."

Steve furrowed his eyebrows.  
"What is Netflix? Is that a high tech tv from today?"

Tony snorted and shook his head. "No Spangles, Netflix is a provider that  allows you to pick from a variety of selected movies and tv shows."

Steve looked at Tony, fascinated by the prospect of it. Tony smiles at the man   
"Come one Spangles, I'll grab a bag of chips and we're going to sit our asses down on that couch and binge watch something."

Tony grabbed the nearest bag of chips and clasped Steve's shoulder to lead him to the couch. 

"So what would you like to watch, excluding documentaries because we don't have time for that." Steve glared at the accusation and pointed at a tv title.

"That one with the genius detective sounds good."

"Sherlock? Never pinned you as a man who would enjoy that. Thought you would want to watch some black and white film with no sound." Tony said

"I'm not as old as you think I am Tony."

"You sure about that old man, pretty sure you can cash in Senior Citizen discounts at diners." He continued to tease.

Steve simply relaxed further into the couch and waited for the show to play.  
                   ___________

"And that is why Sherlock and John are secretly in love." Tony commented while continuing to watch the episodes.

"Secretly," Steve snorted "I'm pretty sure the only it's a secret to is each other."

Tony sniffed the air and began to cough interrupting the conversation as smoke filled the room. "Guess we forget that pizza in the oven." He laughed nervously than ran to get a fire extinguisher, leaving his flour covered imprint on the couch. Steve shook his head at the man while smiling and followed him out the room. His mood seeming untampered by the burnt mess as the unlikely friendship began to blossom.


	5. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the next installment and it's a special Steve centric chapter because I wanted to focus on him a bit even though this story will mostly be center around Tony. I might do another Steve centric chapter if people enjoy it enough. As always leaves comments because I love to read and respond to them.

As the weeks passed by Bruce, Steve and Tony settled into a routine. Bruce would either be in his lab or forced to socialize during Tony's mandated dinner. While Steve spread his time either in the newly renovated gym or catching up on the times with Tony. Tony himself went from place to place but spent a good chunk of the time either in his lab or attached at the hip to Steve or Bruce.

Steve was getting ready to head down to the gym to train when he heard a slam echo from downstairs. He quickly dropped turned around and ran down the stairs to see what the commotion was about.

He carefully rounded the corner and peaked around to see Tony facing a toned, dark skinned man. The man had a smirk on his face and stared at Tony fondly.

"Hey Tony Stank."

"Hey honey bear."

They embraced in a hug, laughing while Steve watched from a distant feeling awkward from observing the moment and feeling a bit jealous. Wait jealous, he thought he must have been mistaken because couldn't be jealous. Steve shook his head to get the notion out of his head and cleared his throat to announce his presence.

Tony and the man broke apart but Tony kept an arm placed around the man's shoulders.

"Hey Spangles, this is honey bear. Honey bear this is Spangles." Tony smiled while giving the introductions.

The man smiled while carefully disentangling himself from Tony's grasp. He stretched out his hand to Steve who took it in a firm handshake.

"I'm Colonel James Rhodes." He said politely.

"I'm Steve Rogers. It's a pleasure to meet you Colonel Rhodes." He said while keeping eye contact.

Colonel Rhodes smiled "You can just call me Rhodes."

Steve nodded while releasing his hand from the hold. Rhodey moves back near Tony and jabbed him in the side.

"You never told me that you were joining that Avengers Initiative Director Fury was talking about."

"Rhodey, he wanted me to become a consultant which is just blah but jokes on him, I don't work good with teams." Tony smirked while Rhodey rolled his eyes.

"But in all honesty Tony, how does it feel having Captain America in the same house as you. Does it fullf-" Tony slammed his palm across Rhodey's mouth as his cheeks heated up.

"Ignore Rhodey here, he only speaks nonsense." Tony said as he laughed nervously and slowly removed his hand from Rhodey's mouth.

Rhodey gave Tony a sly smile then focused his attention on Steve again. "Sure nonsense." He quipped sarcastically and gave a wink to Steve. Steve eyes widened as he looked at Tony with confusion. Tony looked back with a sheepish smile and shrugged his shoulders.

"Not that I don't love your presence here Honey bear but why are you here." Rhodey clasped Tony's shoulder.

"Pepper sent me here." He said in an even tone causing Tony to blanch. Tony lead Rhodey out of the room as they talk in hush tones leaving Steve more confused than ever. And for some reason Steve couldn't seem to get the playful engineer of his thoughts.

                     _________

"Thanks for coming here Captain Rogers." Bruce said as he pulled out a syringe from the nearby cabinet.

"You're welcome Dr. Banner, I don't mind. Tony and you are housing me after all so it's the least I could do."

Bruce scrunched up his nose slightly. "Don't feel indebted to us." He said as he stuck the syringe into Steve. It filled with Steve blood, turning it a scarlet shade. Bruce pulled out the full syringe carefully and placed a band-aid on Steve's arm.

Steve looked at the band-aid. "You know I have a pretty fast healing rate so I don't need the band aid."

Bruce took a sample of the blood and put it on a Petri dish to examine under a microscope.

"Just because you heal quickly doesn't mean you don't need to be cared for." He said while examining the blood.  
Steve twiddled his thumbs feeling out of place. Bruce was so unlike his brother so Steve was unsure how to act around him. Don't get Steve wrong, he enjoys Bruce's calm and quiet presence but it was so different than Tony's. What could Tony be doing with his friend Colonel Rhodes or Rhodes as he chose to be called. And who was this Pepper lady they were talking about, Tony seemed afraid of her which wasn't a good sign. He heard her name come up in conversations but didn't know much about her.

Steve looked at Bruce confused as to why he would allow him in his lab for such a long period of time to simply mull his thoughts. The Hulk seemed like a creature of seclusion. Steve felt bad for Bruce, being punished for something he could barely control. He examined Bruce as he worked, noticing the way he worked each step in a delicate manner. 

"Doctor Ban-"

"Call me Bruce." He interrupted without looking up from his microscope.

"My brother is fond of you, he speaks of you all the time so we can be on good terms as well." He said matter of factly causing a light blush to dust Steve's cheeks.

"Well in that case you can just call me Steve." He gave a quick smile then continued.

"Tony and I were going to make cake while he tells me about modern culture I missed and I was wondering if you wanted to join us." Steve steeled his shoulders as he waited for Bruce's response. He hoped the man would say yes because the task could help alleviate the weariness in Bruce.

Bruce looked up from his microscope and rubbed his neck. He grabbed his thin frame glasses and put them on as he gave Steve a small smile.

"Sure Steve, just give me a minute to put away these samples." 

Steve watched as the scientist put the blood into a small blue fridge. He then washed his hands quickly, drying them on a nearby towel then put his lab coat on the hanger. Bruce gave a slight nod to signal he was ready and Steve lead them out the lab to the elevator.

"So, Steve." Bruce began quietly, obviously not used to having to make conversation. "How have you been adjusted. Tony seems to think you are doing great but I want to know how you feel."

Steve ran his fingers through his hair, scraping his nails against his scalp softly. 

"It's nice here and I enjoy the hospitality I receive. Yet sometimes I feel out of place, some days are better than others honestly." He looked down as his feelings threatened to overwhelm them. 

"But, Tony he helps me feel like I belong and that my only purpose isn't saving the world even though that has its perks." He gave Bruce a small smile who chuckled halfheartedly.

"To be frank I'm not a man of emotions much or dealing with them. Other than angering or caring for Tony. But if you ever need anyone to talk to I'm here for you Steve. Tony and I, we have problems too. We won't judge you and we will help you as best as we can." Bruce looked into Steve's eyes to gauge his emotions and seemed satisfied after awhile. Steve smiled in response to the shy kindness. They began to lightly chatter until the elevator dinged, signifying the destination.

They bother walked out but Steve's steps falter as his eyes landed on a site he thought he would never see.

"Tony?" He asked and Tony cringed at his tone while Bruce shook his head in disappointment.


	6. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, here's the next installment you have been waiting for. It's back to being a more Tony centric POV but I might do another Steve centric chapter in the future hopefully. As always leave comments because I love to read and respond to my them.

"I never meant for you to see this." Tony stuttered. He reached toward Steve who's frown deepened.

"I can't believe you did this." Steve murmured while looking down at his feet.

"I didn't think it would be that big a deal." Tony said while trying to reach back to Steve who back a few steps in response as he looked back up.

"Unless you have more cake batter I'm going to make Bruce take a picture of you and send it to everyone. You know how excited I was to help bake the cake." His frown transformed into a pout while Bruce grabbed a stool and sat down to watch them.

Tony tried rubbing off the cake batter from himself but ended up smearing it further onto himself.

"I have more cake batter in the cabinets. I just wanted to get my mind off the stress with Pepper and the business so baking seemed like a good option. I didn't think it would have gotten this messy." He said while continuing to try to rub the batter off.

Steve's face softened but noticed the man seemed in a better mood since before he left with Rhodey.

"Now that you're okay at least  and you've explained the proper thing to do is laugh at how ridiculous you look." Steve was quickly overtaken by laughs. He held his stomach as he laughed loudly, wheezing at certain points. Bruce watched from his seat, smiling at their antics.

Tony glared at Steve causing Steve to laugh even harder, making his face turn a bright red.

"Can you just help me." Tony bit out. Steve chewed on his lip to stifle the rest of his laugh and grabbed a towel laying on the counter. Steve tenderly wiped Tony's cheek causing his cheeks to heat up in response. A crash sounded from behind them causing them both to jolt in response. Steve handed the towel to Tony to finish cleaning himself off while Tony murmured a quick thank you. As he turned around Steve saw a cup on a floor with little pieces of glass littering the floor.

Bruce gave him a sheepish smile "Sorry I just wanted to make some cinnamon tea."

Tony smirked at Bruce, enjoying that he wasn't the only klutz in the room.

"Wow Brucie, I get clumsiness runs in the family." Bruce rolls his eyes at him while trying to clean up the small mess.  
Tony surveyed the kitchen trying to see the worst of the damage. Cake batter was painted everywhere but that was hopefully a quick fix. Maybe he could bring an industrial hose inside to clean the whole kitchen.

"Sir." Jarvis called out, interrupting Tony's thoughts.

"Yeah, Jarvis?"

"Director Fury is requesting access to the premise, do I grant him entry." 

Tony sighed while rubbing his cake smeared nose. Agent Coulson was a nice guy but Fury was brash and narrowed minded person who always clashed with Tony. He wasn't in the mood to deal with him. Things to seem to finally be going well with Steve and Tony hasn't dealt with that weird cold feeling for awhile now. He didn't want Fury to barge in telling him he wasn't qualified again but still try to weasel Tony into shield along with Steve and Bruce. Shield had more secrets than a Catholic confession booth and the only reason Tony would willingly try to join was to find them out.

But oh God, if they dare hurt Bruce or Steve. Tony seethed at the mere thought of it.

"Tell Fury to ruin someone else day for his fun like knock over some poor kid sandcastle. On second thought don't give the guy any ideas. Just tell him I'm busy okay Jarvis."

"Noted Sir."

Steve and Bruce looked at Tony with a mix of concern and confusion. Tony knew they hated being left out of the loop and they knew enough. A few shots of gin might loosen him up enough to talk to them. Reaching for the gin bottle and the nearest shot glass he stared up at the two and gestured for them to follow.

"Come on kiddos, time for some boring Story Time so you both can stop looking two kicked puppies." 

                       _________

"So I'll start from the beginning," he opened the gin bottle and poured it gracefully into the shot glass. He tossed the shot back with a flick of the wrist, pursuing his lips at the familiar taste.

Tony and Bruce sat next to each other on a larger dark upholstery couch while Steve sat in a matching armchair pulled up to be seated across from them. Tony sat spread on the couch almost as to build his confidence to begin while Bruce took a small portion seeming to want the opposite affect, to disappear. Steve sat with perfect posture as his solider years seem to bleed through him along with his rapt attention.

"Brucie here and me had the unfortunate of being raised by post-war Howard Stark. Our mother died when we were fairly young so we didn't get to enjoy much of that warm mother coddling some other kids get."

Tony pour himself another shot and drinking it quickly, letting his fingers linger on the bottle before he continued.

"Howard thought that meant he could be a total ass to his kids. He made one kid a huge green gamma monster and forced the other to make weapons and later caused to become an alcoholic. Pretty sure alcoholism runs in the genes by now." He let out a bitter laugh as his hand gripped the bottle tighter.

"Now Brucie can't get mad without destroying half the city." Bruce looks down at his feet embarrassed. Tony reaches his hand and places it on Bruce's wrist as a reassuring gesture.

"While I can't think straight without haven't taken enough alcohol to disintegrate my liver. And this thing." Tony pulls down his shirt to expose a circle in the middle of his chest giving off a bright blue glow. "Is an arc reactor that keeps a piece of shrapnel from tearing my heart open. Stupid aftermath of being caught in an explosion in Afghanistan from my own bomb, ironic I know. Water and me aren't good friends anymore after the whole torture session. I could probably make the whole experience into a good heavy metal song." Tony gives a tight smile to lighten the mood but noticing the tension not thinking simply lifts the bottle he had been holding on to dear life in his hand and takes a sip.

"Sorry to unload this all onto you now Cap but better you learn some of the stuff from the source rather than from the news or something."

Steve opens his mouth to respond but is interrupted by Jarvis.

"Sir Director Fury has returned with two shield agents. He is continuing to make obscene remarks in order to gain entry."

"What is he saying Jarvis?"

"He is saying that if you don't open the mother fucking door and let his ass in with the new avengers recruits he will string your fucking innards for all of New York to see. It's quite unflattering sir. The two agents seem to not be hostile. Should I scan them."

Tony rolls his eyes. "Fury is all bark no bite, he really needs to relax. And yes  Jarvis please go through with the scan."

He grabs the bottle once again and takes a long swig of the gin, reveling in the burning sensation it causes. Tony clasps his hand on Bruce shoulder causing the man to relax slightly under his touch.

"Guys, guess we have some guests to introduce ourselves to after that huge unloading of the past."


	7. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the next installment after that long break. Hopefully I will get back to updating every week or two instead. As always comments are greatly appreciated because I enjoy reading and responding to them.

"Okay first order of business boys. Spangles take the depressed look off your face, we don't have time for the pity hour. Put on that happy senior citizen face like someone just gave you new teeth cleaner for your dentures. And Brucie don't look like your dying, it'll be over soon. Then you can go back to your lab and I'll only bother after you've had alone time. But not too long, I love you too much my dear brother." 

Tony waggled his eyebrows and Bruce nodded at him while putting on a wary smile. Steve on the other hand looked like a solider ready to command other than the twitch over his eye. Tony rubbed the section with the pad of his index finger.

"Come on Spangles, no need to get your granny panties in a twist." Steve glared at him while baring his teeth slightly at Tony despite enjoying the sensation. Tony laughed and moved his finger away causing Steve to almost immediately stiffen from the loss of the relaxation tool. 

With a swipe of his hand Tony grabbed the gin bottle and ran to put it in kitchen cabinet. As he made his way back he thought of the best and worst case scenarios. Fury was a secretive man but Tony planned to unearth every little dirty detail about the man. Until then he certainly wasn't trusting the man. He had no choice though but to play around for the time being.

"JARVIS," he called once he reached back to the living room.

"Yes sir?"

"I think we have been making our guests wait long enough. Let them in."

"Right away sir. The guests with Director Fury are Shield Agent Natasha Romanova and Shield Clint Barton. I have some of their files on my database if you wish to read them later but I have some further digging I would need to do for further information." He replied smoothly filling Tony with a sense of pride.

"I'll look over them later and we'll find more information as well. For now Brucie, Spangles and me have to play house guests for these little spies."

"I hope this goes fine." Bruce stated as the worry bled through his tone, followed by a sigh.

Just as he finished the sentence Director Fury appeared with two individuals flanking him. Director Fury himself was an imposing figure from his darkly assemble to the ebony eyepatch draped across the marred part of his face. The scowl he adorned added to the entire effect. 

The individual flanking his right side was a female with shoulder length auburn hair. She wore a skin tight black suit and knee high boots looking poised to fight at any moment. Tony made a note to watch her closely. He wanted to get Intel on Shield, not the other way around. Her green eyes examined the room, seeming disinterested on the people themselves. 

The other individual on the other hand seemed disinterested in general. He had on casual attire consisting of a purple fitted shirt with matching converse and dark jeans. He tapped his fingers against his leg which Tony was unsure was a nervous tic or not. Tony saw device in his ears and he tilted his head to get a better look. He would ask Jarvis about the device later.

"So Fury, what brings you to our lovely home?" Tony said with a smirk, trying to goad a response out of him.

"Cut the shit Stark, I'm not in the mood. This is Agent Natasha Romanova." He looked at her and she gave a slight tilt of the head as a greeting.

"And this Agent Clint Barton." Clint waved without needed to be signaled by Fury and Tony saw a mischievous glint in his eyes. 

"So you're Tony Stark that is the famous Iron Man." Clint looks Tony up and down and smirks.

"I'd thought you'd be taller. Does that suit come with built in heels."

"Well Barton, what I lack in height I make up in good looks. I believe that's a better deal than you got." He smirked back waiting for a retort.

"I don't know when the last time you looked in the mirror was but I think you needed them cleaned and to buy yourself some glasses."

"Listen here Barton you th-."

"Enough," Steve interrupted "you are both acting like children. We will listen to what Director Fury has to say then we will be done."

Tony looked at Bruce for back up but Bruce shook his head at him. Tony sighed and moved back slightly while Clint smirked in victory. Natasha inched toward Clint and smacked the back of his head.

"You're getting reprimanded too hotshot so calm it." She said evenly causing Clint to shiver and immediately back down as well.

Fury watched the scene with a calculating eye, seeming to enjoy the interactions. Tony crossed his arms and waited for Fury to spew whatever lies he was going to try to feed them.

"Okay listen up, you all know about the avengers initiative and this is basically me forcing the first steps of implementation. Barton and Romanova will be staying here and you guys will do any bonding shit you need to do to become a good team. I want your asses out on a shield issued mission by next week. Have I made myself clear?" 

Tony wanted to glare at Fury for making their tower freaking babysitting central but he did enjoy the prospect of helping people. It was a passion of his, making things better and by doing so helping people. Letting other people into his house made things difficult. He wasn't a team player because he had problems trusting people. Being betrayed more times that he could count did that to him.

"I have a splitting headache Stark so I'm just going to leave these two here and you deal with each other." Fury turned on his heel and entered the elevator leaving the groups to sort themselves out.

Clint stared at Tony the mischievous glint back in his eyes as he tapped his earlier pattern into his pant leg. Before Clint could even begin Tony left to go to his lab.

"Spangles and Brucie give these guys the tour and let them pick whatever floor to live on." He called behind him as he walked away. Tony could hear the telltales signs of innocent banter but he continued to walk, grabbing the nearest bottle of liquor on the way out. 

"Sir," Jarvis asked as Tony got into the elevator.

"Yes Jarvis?"

"Why are you leaving the individuals in the living room. They seem to be getting along fairly well for now and engaging in that could help reduce your stress levels."

"I have too much on my plate to finish playing host. I have to read the files on those new field agents to see if they aren't psychos, run more scans about my body temperature and finish some projects I'm working on. I just don't have the time Jarvis."

"Sir, I do believe you are burying yourself in work and I encourage you to not do because it is damaging to your health."

The elevator doors opened and Tony strode out and sat on his lab seat ignoring Jarvis request. He opened the bottle and begin drinking. He continued to drink until his vision turned a bit fuzzy and his mind buzzed.

"Time to work." He mumbled to himself sarcastically as he put down the  now almost empty bottle of liquor which wasn't that full to begin with. Tony snapped his fingers and a blue hologram appeared in front of him with a mixture of documents and three dimensional shapes. He swiped at the holographic documents till he reached Natasha and Clint's files.

"Okay Natasha Romanova, orphan?" Tony paused briefly but kept reading. "She was taken to the Red Room Facility where she was enhanced biologically and physically." He continued to read, feeling pity for a younger Natasha who never had an actual childhood.

"Clinton Barton, abusive alcoholic father, wow something we have in common. He became a member of the circus and received training. He is also deaf, that explains the devices in his ears. They must be his hearing aids."

"Jarvis, I'm sorry about earlier. But can you do me a favor."

"It is alright sir as long you get rest and mor human interaction after I do this favor."

"Jarvis you bartering little ai."

"I was programmed by the best. Now what was the favor you needed Sir?"

"Could you get me information on Romanova and Barton skills, abilities, any other alias. Honestly just anything else."

"Right away sir, it might take me a while to compile so I suggest trying to get the sleep you promised now." 

"Fine Jarvis, like I always say such the mothering hen." He tried to sound angry but the fondness leaked from his tone.

"I know sir, it is my job." Jarvis responded as he shut down Tony's open holograms.

Tony let out a grumble of protest but went on the elevator anyway. His muscles ached and would probably salivate at the chance to relax. 

"Thank you Jarvis." He said as he got out of the elevator and walked into his room.

"You are very much welcome sir." He responded as Tony collapsed onto his bed, letting sleep consume him to escape from his racing thoughts about the Shield agents and their dark pasts.


	8. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been so long since I updated. I have up to chapter 24 outlined Im just working on editing mistakes but thank you everyone for you patience. Without further ado here's the next installment of the chapter. As always comments leave comments because I love to read and respond to them.

Tony ambled to the kitchen sleepily, rubbing his aching temples as he walked. He had woken up earlier and found out the rest of the information he needed on Natasha and Clint. It ended up costing him his sleep but the information he received was worth it. He bumped into someone's broad frame causing him to stumble a back few steps.

Tony looked angrily to see who the person was and saw Steve in a blue frilly apron that had 'kiss the cook' as he flipped pancakes in a frying pan. He felt as home seeing the domestic scene.

"Why are you up so early." He asked Steve, his voice still deep with sleep.

"I've slept 70 years, I've had my fill of sleep. Why are you up so early? You don't seem like an early bird to me."

Tony snorts "I'm not a day or night person. I'm a whenever my body decides to wake up or go to sleep person."

Steve chuckled while continuing to make pancakes. "I'm making myself a batch of chocolate chip pancakes after I make these for everyone. Do you have a special request?"

"Blueberry please and why are you cooking for everyone. You aren't their mother although I do like pancakes. And what is with apron?" He asked while tugging on it.

"They are guests until they settle further and I want to do something nice for them. Also this is the only apron in the house."

Tony quickly spun Steve around and took a picture of him, laughing at his surprised expression.

"This is revenge for when you threatened to take a picture of me when I was covered in cake batter." He continued to laugh and made a break to the living room that was on the same floor. It didn't have the same leather couches as the other one Tony loved but it was the nearest one there. Steve chased Tony and tackled him onto the red velvety couch.

"Give me the phone Stark." He says in his most threatening voice but Tony only rolls his eyes in response.

"Never Captain Rogers." Tony grabbed a pillow cushion from the couch and slammed it into Steve face making feathers explode from the cushion. Steve reeled back giving Tony the opportunity to push him onto the floor, pinning him down. Steve looked up at him with wide eyes full of surprise and slightly flushed cheeks. The overwhelming desire to kiss him arises in Tony. He had been in Steve since he first saw him and now would be the best time to but those feeling slowly manifested over time. But seeing Steve how he is solidified his feelings. Tony would take this chance to let his feelings known, when no one was around and they were just Tony and Steve not Iron Man and Captain America. He would rather take the shot to see if Steve was interested back than never knowing and be plagued with eternal what ifs.

Tony leaned down till they where just a breath apart. He could count every one of Steve's long eyelash from the position and make out the mesmerizing patterns in his clear blue eyes. Tony's gaze trailed down to Steve's lips and Tony subconsciously ran his tongue across his lips. Steve's eyes followed the movement. 

In one swift movement Tony captured Steve's lips with his own. He pressed against his lips and felt Steve's hand trail up to cup his cheek. Tony tilted his head to deepen the kiss and stayed there locked in the embrace, mind hazy with emotions. They pressed against each other desperately as though they couldn't get closer to each other until they had to finally pull back from air. Steve smiled up at Tony with slightly swollen lips and a dazed expression in his eyes. Tony's heart stuttered at the sight.

Tony pushed himself up to get off Steve who quickly pulled him back down and wrapped his arms around him in a warm embrace.

"Please stay" Steve whispered and Tony complied while nuzzling his face to fit into the crook of Steve's neck.

"Now it's my turn to talk."

"I must be rubbing off on you." Tony mumbled into Steve's neck causing him to laugh softly at the vibration caused by the words.

"I guess you have Tony." Steve's moved one hand into Tony hair and started to run his fingers through it while Tony makes a content sigh.

"But I want to get some stuff off my chest." Tony made a noise of protest making Steve smile warmly. 

"No not you, I'm talking about me. Ever since I've woke up I felt empty. Spending those weeks at Shield made me feel as though I were just a ghost of the past and didn't belong here. Agent Coulson was there but he was more of a Captain America fan than Steve fan. Okay what I am trying to say is that I like you Tony. And I tried to hide them and deny them because I couldn't come to terms with them myself. But I can't lie and say that kiss didn't feel right. Having you in my arms feels right. I'm a man out of time. Yet you gave me home and a purpose, you made me belong.

Tony's mind raced at the confession. He never knew he could be worthy of Steve's affection. He smiled against Steve neck.

"I like you too Steve." He whispered.

A piercing beep noise sounded through the tower and immediately both men disentangled from the embrace and leapt to his feet.

"Sir, it appears that the pancakes Captain Rogers was making have burnt and caused the entire stove to light on fire." Jarvis explained calmly despite the the dire situation.

Tony ran to the kitchen trailed by Steve. He should've been more careful and now a poor kitchen appliance was going to pay for his negligence.

Tony made it to the kitchen and saw the stove on fire so quickly tried to assess the situation. Natasha was currently holding a fire extinguisher, spraying the contents onto the burning stove while Bruce watched nervously. Bruce's hand were clutched loosely at his sides but Tony checked in his eyes and saw no traces of green causing him to let out a sigh of relief.

"How did you guys not notice the pancakes were left to burn." Clint's voice called out. Tony looked around to trace the source of his voice and saw him perched upon the top of fridge.

"Listen Barton, paying attention to kitchen appliances isn't my strong suit but speaking of them why are you on mine?" 

Clint remained perched on the fridge comfortably. "I have better eye sight angles from this position."

Tony walked toward the fridge and grabbed a bag of grapes from inside which he began to throw at Clint. He laughed when one hit Clint right in the middle of the forehead while Clint glared angrily at him. Clint reached into his pocket and took out arrows with foam points and threw them at Tony in retaliation. 

"Steve," Tony calls out "help me defeat Legolas." He turned to Steve to continue getting begging when Clint hit him straight in the nose with the foam arrow.

"Bullseye." Clint calls out smugly and Tony immediately placed the grapes on the nearby table and tried to jump onto the top of the fridge while Clint tried to shimmy away.

Steve quickly grabbed Tony and slung him over his shoulder. Clint started to laugh at Tony's ordeal but Steve dragged Clint off the fridge and held him under his free arm. They flailed around but Steve held them tight so they wouldn't slip from his grip.

"I apologize for their childish behavior, I'll deal with them. But thank you for cleaning up our mess Bruce and Natasha."

"I'm used to it." Bruce and Natasha said simultaneously as the fire extinguisher hung limply in Natasha hand.

They looked at each other and shared smiles. Tony stopped his protesting to see the gesture and happiness blossoms in his chest from the prospect of Bruce getting a new friend.

As Steve dragged him away he remembered what happened and began to protest one more. He definitely wasn't going to get in trouble for Barton.

"Cap if you don't let me down this instance I will get you back and it will be ten times worse." He said in a low voice.

"I can't believe I'm saying this but I agree with Stark on this one. Let me go Old man."

Steve ignored their protests and took them onto the elevator still holding onto them.

"Jarvis, can you take us into a room without furnishing. They two need to talk without having any they could use as weapons to threaten each other."

"Of course Captain Rogers. I will proceed immediately."

"Hey Jarvis, you're my ai. You don't have to listen to Steve." Tony complained while Clint grudgingly nodded in agreement.

"I am aware sir but this command is quite beneficial for you so I am inclined to listen to Captain Rogers."

Steve gave Tony a smug grin and Tony huffed angrily

"You are both cheeky little shits." 

"Surprisingly I'm agreeing with Stark again." Clint raised his fist up to Tony who reached down to fist bump him although their fists barely touched.

"I think we can be equal level assholes together Barton." Tony said with a devious smirk.

"That doesn't sound like such a bad idea." Clint replied "But I'm still gonna mess with you a shitload Stark."

"Fair enough, I'll do the same to repay you." Tony smirk deepened

Steve sighed to himself. This was going to be a long discussion with these two. But at least he had the memory of the embrace from earlier to help him through it.


	9. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, here the second promised chapter of this week. This is my way of repaying everyone since you all patiently waited for the updates. I will try to get in another update some time next week if I can. Hope everyone enjoys this chapter despite the sadder tone. As always leave comments because I love to read and respond to them. :)

The discussion ended up going far into the next day. Steve eventually ended it when Tony and Clint stopped arguing  the entire time with each other. Tony walked toward Steve as Clint left the room, ready to discuss the events of yesterday but was interrupted by his phone ringing. Tony picked it up, wanting to rid himself of the call as soon as possible.

"Hello?" Tony answered.

"Is this Tony Stark?" A feminine voice inquired from over the phone.

Steve had requested Jarvis to pull out a virtual sketch pad hologram and he was currently creating swirls on said sketch pad. Tony smiled at him while continuing with the call, fighting back a yawn from lack of sleep.

"Yes this is him, may I ask who I am speaking to?"

"This is Manhattan hospital and we are calling to inform you on the state of Colonel James Rhodes." Tony stiffened in worry.

"Is he okay?" He clutched his hand tighter around the phone.

"Colonel Rhodes is in a stable condition at the moment. He was in a car accident earlier today and suffered multiple injuries. He has a minor concussion, dislocated hip joint and fractured one his femurs. He is currently under anthesia since he will be undergoing surgery for the more severe injuries but we wanted to inform you of his condition since you are one of his emergency contacts." She spoke in a peaceful tone but it did nothing to lessen Tony's anxiety.

"Can you please call me back if his condition changes and after the surgery as well."

Steve stopped his doodles and looked at Tony, hearing the worry in his voice.

"Okay Mr. Stark, understood. Thank you and goodbye."

Tony clicked off the phone without saying goodbye and placed it in his pocket silently. He slowly lowered himself to the floor and sat down silently. Steve quickly rushed to Tony to see what caused the change in his demeanor.

"What happened Tony? What was that call about?" He asked.

"That was a call from Manhattan hospital. Rhodey was in a car crash." Tony looked down at his shaking hands. "He was hurt and he is going into surgery."

"Oh Tony." Steve hugged Tony close to his chest and rubbed soothing circles into his back. Tony looked off into the distance, his eyes glazed over and fixated on nothing. His body shook and his breathing became labored.

"Tony it's okay. He's going to be okay, don't worry. Rhodes is a strong man." Tony didn't focus on the words themselves but on the comforting tone of Steve voice.

Tears streamed down Tony's face in silent rivulets. He clutched Steve's shirt tightly and press his face into it while continuing to cry silently.

"I don't know why I'm crying. My father taught me that Stark men are made of iron so I shouldn't be crying. Yet here I am blubbering like a child." He mumbled.

Steve kept rubbing circles into Tony back. "You're human Tony, it's okay to cry."

Those few words caused Tony to finally crack and let his emotions reign free. Heartbreaking sobs wrenched themselves from Tony's chest while Steve held him close. Tony felt himself fall apart in Steve's arms but Steve held together all the pieces as they tumbled out.

_________

Tony walked down the beige hallways of Manhattan Hospital filled with concern. He had composed himself enough after his earlier breakdown to be able to visit Rhodey in time. Steve wanted to come for moral support as well as check in on Rhodey's condition but Fury decided to move up the date of shield issued mission because of a sudden influx of hydra agents reeking havoc in a LA, California. It seemed as though villains loved reeking havoc in the busiest cities. Tony would have to have a long talk to Fury about rescheduling missions last minute. Steve wouldn't even be back for a few days which made the situation worse for Tony. Bruce himself had taken a trip to a small village on the other side of the world because of his gamma radiation research so Tony would be alone with Jarvis until either of them returned. Tony stuck his hand into jeans and felt around for the nuts and bolts he placed in there. The cool feel of the metal gave him a sense of peace. 

Tony finally made it to room 144, the room he was told was Rhodey's. He knocked on the door lightly before entering. The room has a long multicolored curtains draping from the windows, a small beige cabinet that matched the door near it, a blue chair and in the center of it all a half-awake Rhodey laying upon the blue hospital bed.

"Hey honey bear." Tony said softly. He grabbed the chair and pulled it close to Rhodey's bed as he tried to survey his injuries.

"Hey Tony Stank." Rhodey said with a half smile. He had a bandage on his brow as well as across his cheek and Tony could tell there was a brace on one of his legs along with an iv inserted into his arm.

"How are you feeling? Gosh that is a stupid question, you're in a hospital you probably feel like shit." 

"Shut up Tones, this stuff won't keep me down for long. Don't start getting all depressed on me. I don't have the energy to smack you."

Tony chuckled and rubbed Rhodey's arm while smiling.

"Always so nice Honey bear."

"Damn straight I am." Rhodey said with mock seriousness but broke into laugh which was quickly ended by him wincing.

"You okay Rhodey? Do you want me to call a nurse to give you more medication?" He stared at Rhodey worriedly.

"I'm okay Tony," he interrupted himself with a yawn "I might just turn in for the night. I'm real tired even though I was asleep when they were prodding and fixing me." His eyes began to flutter close.

"Good you need to rest Rhodey, don't worry I'll be here when you wake up so I can bother you some more."

Rhodey gave one last smile before he succumbed to sleep. Tony sat back in his seat and with one hand planning out blueprints for new inventions with a small three dimensions hologram projected by his phone while the other fiddled with the nut and bolts in his pockets.

He was determined to create a machine that helped Rhodey regain mobility in his legs. He wasn't the reason Rhodey lost his legs but he would be the reason why he got them back.


End file.
